


Caring Distractions

by seriousfangirl97



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Sing loo sing, Very tiny brief mention of Alex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 06:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15880761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seriousfangirl97/pseuds/seriousfangirl97
Summary: They became many things, and they did this together. Eiji rekindled his desire to continue pole vaulting, and began to focus his education on photography. He did not lose his bright outlook on life, but also managed to become more aware of all facets of life; he focused on the good and bad, not just the good. Ash had taught him that good cannot exist without bad, and vise versa.Ash learned to enjoy the smaller things in life, like the rain on a hot day, or distracting Eiji from homework to get attention; attention was something Ash didn't know he craved. He had forgotten how fulfilling and amazing it can feel, until he met Eiji. But among all of these things, and many more, Ash became happy.Their happiness became entangled into an unbreakable bond, that will withstand the hardships of time, even after time has reached its end.





	Caring Distractions

**Author's Note:**

> There are vague spoilers. Like you have to squint to realize they're spoilers. So not so big but they still contribute to the storyline.  
> I made sure to include some of manga's crude humor that Ash and Eiji share. These nerds are quite endearing. 
> 
> Prompt for fic: Person A is stressed due to studying for a test. Person B notices and tries to cheer up Person A.
> 
> Loosely follows prompt.

Eiji was back in Japan. He didn't move into the dorms as he had done for his first year of university. Instead, he moved into an apartment near the campus but far enough for a light, twenty-minute jog. There were many local stores and restaurants nearby, as well as a karaoke bar, and a small park not too far away.

A year ago, Eiji couldn't imagine visiting any of these stores. He didn't think he'd come back to Japan. Now he frequently visits the stores, and he's never alone.

Eiji's classes are usually easy and almost never require studying; that is until he got back from the states and his mind began to drift from his studies. Memories of the year in the US constantly filled his dreams; from seemingly endless gunfights to gentle nights under the stars, he couldn't concentrate for very long, often falling into daydreams about the paths he had crossed.

He was daydreaming about Skip when a throw pillow whacked him over the head.

"E-EH!? why would you do that? I have a lit candle right here, Ash!"

Ash laughed, standing up from his spot on the couch, walking over to Eiji with a book in his hand. "You weren't studying just now."

"Yes, I was..."

"You were staring at the flame," Ash said amusedly. "Does the flame hold the answers to those review sheets?"

Eiji pouted, picking up the pillow from the floor and throwing it at Ash's face.

"H-Hey, watch it..."

"Yes actually. The flame has all the answers. It says you're a careless American." Eiji said, flipping off Ash while sticking his tongue out.

Ash picked up the pillow, tossing it onto the couch before flipping off Eiji. "A careless American is better than a clumsy Japanese. I'm gonna make a sandwich, want one?" He said as he made his way to the kitchen.

Eiji sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, please. But no mustard, you put too much.."

Ash smiled, rummaging through the refrigerator, retrieving the needed ingredients for their lunch. "I'll make sure to put all the mustard in yours.~ We should go out tonight."

"I can't... I have to study." Eiji pouted, gently touching the candle's wick with his pencil.

They had been frequenting a couple of the smaller restaurants, though no matter what, they always ended up with Slurpees from the nearby 7-ELEVEn.

To Eiji's delight as well as dismay, Ash would always find an excuse to not visit some of the fancier restaurants. He would usually say, _"They're just not my style..."_  But Eiji knew better. He knew this was more than just an aesthetics problem, that it was more about an old lifestyle that was forced onto him. Knowing this, Eiji stopped asking, and would instead take him to smaller, cozier shops and sip on tea while talking about his classes, giving each other occasional loving looks.

"Then I'll go get a Slurpee. By myself... I don't know how to speak Japanese so I'll probably end up sayin' the wrong thing or asking for like 6 packets of cigarettes."

"You don't even smoke," Eiji stated, matter-of-factly, trying to focus on his studying.

Eiji looked back to the candle after a few minutes of studying in silence, praying for freedom. Save for an occasional shuffle of dishes or the washing of a utensil, the apartment was quiet; the silence was more distracting than helpful. Eiji sat back when Ash walked over to the dining table and placed their sandwiches beside the older man.  He kissed the top of Eiji's head, pulling his chair out and plopping down onto it.

"You've been studying all day... You do know that's been proven to not work right?"

"I give up." Eiji groaned, rubbing at his eyes before looking at Ash. "How do you do it?"

Ash picked up his sandwich and bit into it, looking at Eiji tentatively as he chewed. "How do I do what?~ How do I study?  relax? Or how do I..." He put his sandwich down and flamboyantly flicked his hair from his face, smiling cutely. "Look amazing?~"

Eiji laughed, blushing lightly as he watched Ash. "Stop talking with your mouth full, before I have to rescue you for once... How do you study? I can't even get past the first 30 pages in my textbook, and I have to review 90 pages..."

"You've saved me before. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here." Ash smiled, closing the book in front of  Eiji while looking at the review sheet in front of him. "Okay, so it's that visual media class you've been struggling on? The subject isn't important. Focus on smaller sections. Aaaaaand don't study what you already know."

"You can read kanji?"

"Yeah, I've been studying. now pay attention. And don't say I'm not useful if you're not going to listen." Ash sighed as he lightly flicked Eiji's temple.

Eiji closed his book, looking up at Ash, dumbly. "Since when have you been studying Japanese?"

Ash looked away from Eiji, sitting back down and picking up his sandwich.

"Don't ignore me, Ash..."

Ash continued to ignore Eiji, focusing on eating his sandwich; his cheeks had begun to redden.

"Aslan... Please tell me?"

Ash finished his sandwich, still avoiding Eiji's stare. "... The day after you brought me here, sheesh why do you have to use my actual name..."

Eiji smiled, blowing out the candle, and standing up. "Come. Let's go out?"

Ash frowned. "After I made you a sandwich? And you say I'm indecisive..."

Eiji stood up and put the sandwich in a baggie, grabbing Ash's hand and pulling him out of his seat. "Let's get a Slurpee to go with our meal?"

"Okay, okay damn... Let me get a Ziploc for my sandwich, I don't want mustard everywhere.."

The September evening was more refreshing than humid, certainly much better than the September nights in New York that Ash knew so well.

It was his first Year in Japan. They left in late March, after ensuring Ash's gang was safe in Alex and Sing's hands. There were many firsts for Ash in Japan, one of those firsts included not having to constantly worry over getting shot at. Of course, he was still wary, after all old habits are hard to break. Eiji had picked up on some of Ash's habits. In return, Ash picked up some of Eiji's skills and became his photography assistant. But among all of the things Ash became, he became happy.

Eiji laughed as he entered the store, nudging Ash.

"Wh-What is it, Eiji!? Why're they giggling? what did they say? Eiji c'mon stop laughing..." Ash said in an exasperated tone, looking away annoyedly.

"They were complimenting you, Ash, because they found you attractive. I told you that was going to happen often, so don't be surprised."

"Still unwarranted.." Ash muttered as he frowned, making a beeline for the Slurpee machine. "The one thing from home," he said as he picked the largest cup.

"There's a lot of things here that are in America, Ash," Eiji said as he followed behind the blond, picking a medium cup. "Like fast food, western stores, Natto~"

Ash glared at Eiji as he slowly opened the Fanta Vanilla Slurpee spout, pouring it half way before stopping it and switching to the Dr.Pepper spout. He looked away from Eiji, filling it the rest of the way before topping it off and getting a blue straw. "You know what,  Eiji?"

"What, Ash?~" Eiji smirked, quickly opening the spout for the Piña Colada Slurpee.

Ash walked over to the aisles and picked out a can sweet cinnamon pringles, looking over at Eiji. "You know where you can shove that natto..."

Eiji laughed, shaking his head, and picking up an original Pringles. "Yeah, down your throat.~"

"Nah, down yours."

The clerk rung up their items, Eiji using Ash's card before stepping out of the store and continuing to head away from their apartment building.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To the park.~ You wanted to distract me, right? So distract me."

Ash stood in place, watching Eiji as he walked to the park. He kept watching him when he turned around, Eiji smiling brightly as he gestured for Ash to follow.

"C'mon Aslan!! Let's go, I could use a ride on the swings.~"

Ash smiled exasperatedly, jogging up to Eiji. "I'm getting the less creaking one!" He said as he began to run, holding his Slurpee close. He smiled as he ran past Eiji, laughing when the older man tried to catch up with him.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N  
> I hope you enjoyed this fic. I guess you can say it's a comeback ficlet? Or something to use as a warm up?  
> Below is an alternate Ending bc I can never leave anything as is. :D
> 
> Alternate Ending: (a bit violent)
> 
> That's when they heard tires screeching not too far away, followed by slammed doors and footsteps. The sound of bullets hitting the floor. "Neither of you could get away from me, now could you?" 
> 
> Eiji fell to the concrete sidewalk, his hand outreached to Ash. Ash cried out, dropping his slurpee as he rushed to Eiji. A feeling of helplessness washed over him once again, a harsh reminder of the years before.


End file.
